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Meet THe Team
For the first time ever, The Porch is bringing its creative writing workshops to Memphis! On Saturday, November 8, we’ll gather for a day devoted to writing, inspiration, and community. Two workshops at Crosstown Arts (10am–Noon and 1–3pm) will set the stage, and the celebration continues at 6pm with an evening reading at Novel bookstore. Our two teaching artists will share their work, and the night will open up into a community-wide open mic, co-emceed by Memphis poet and librarian Ashley Roach-Freiman and The Porch’s Director of Education, Yurina Yoshikawa. Join us for one workshop, both, or just the free evening event—and be part of this inaugural Memphis gathering.
The Weight of the Pause - A Workshop with Urban Thoughts // 10am - Noon, Crosstown Arts, Glassroom
On the page, silence is often louder than sound. A pause can create rhythm, hold tension, and carry as much weight as a line of poetry itself. What happens when we let a poem breathe? How do the words unsaid echo as powerfully as what’s written? In this class, we’ll explore the art of stillness: how intentional pauses, punctuation, and the spaces between words shape voice, mood, and meaning. We’ll study how master storytellers like Jay Ward, Terrance Hayes, Nikki Giovanni, and Sylvia Plath use silence as a tool of resonance, then practice weaving that same power into our own poems. Together, we will work through the quiet until it becomes as intentional as sound and where restraint is as vital as expression. In-class prompts will invite us to experiment with breath, tempo, and line breaks, examining what shifts when we choose to hold back instead of fill in. As we workshop drafts in real time, we’ll ask: what story emerges in the pause? How does silence allow our words to stretch, linger, and transform? What story is held between the words and lines in the unsaid?
If you are a student attending the University of Memphis, Rhodes College, Southwest Community College, Christian Brothers University or other, reach out to yurina@porchtn.org to retrieve your discount code.
• In-Class Writing Lift: Light
• Homework: None
• Workshopping Drafts: None
Timothy “Urban Thoughts” Moore is a nationally recognized educator, award-winning writer, and multiple-time spoken word slam champion whose work bridges art, education, and community healing. Walt Disney World recently honored him as one of the 50 most innovative educators and storytellers in America. He has also received a Certificate of Congressional Recognition, several state proclamations for his impact in education and the arts and a proud Watering Hole Alumni Fellow. He holds an MAT in Instruction and Curriculum Design from the University of Memphis and studied project-based learning at MIT in an invited symposium, which helped shape his philosophy of blending literature, hip-hop, and spoken word poetry into dynamic, hands-on workshops. As an English teacher and teaching artist, Moore empowers students to reclaim their voices, sharpen critical thinking, and embrace creativity as a tool for transformation. His keynote speeches and workshops that are rooted in mindfulness, storytelling, and social justice have inspired audiences across the nation. Recognized as both a cultural leader and mentor, he continues to create safe spaces for youth, adults, and families-affirming that education and art together can transform not only classrooms, but entire communities.
Urban Thoughts is new to The Porch. Welcome!
